The present invention relates to magnetic elements for information storage and/or sensing and a fabricating method thereof, and more particularly, to a method of fabricating and thus defining the magnetic element to improve the magnetoresistance ratio.
This application is related to a co-pending application that bears Motorola docket number CR97-133 and U.S. Ser. No. 09/144,686, entitled xe2x80x9cMAGNETIC RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY AND FABRICATING METHOD THEREOF,xe2x80x9d filed on Aug. 31, 1998, assigned to the same assignee and incorporated herein by this reference, co-pending application that bears Motorola docket number CR 97-158 and U.S. Ser. No. 08/986,764, entitled xe2x80x9cPROCESS OF PATTERNING MAGNETIC FILMSxe2x80x9d filed on Dec. 8, 1997, assigned to the same assignee and incorporated herein by this reference and issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,181, entitled xe2x80x9cMAGNETIC DEVICE HAVING MULTI-LAYER WITH INSULATING AND CONDUCTIVE LAYERSxe2x80x9d, issued Jun. 16, 1998, assigned to the same assignee and incorporated herein by.
Typically, a magnetic element, such as a magnetic memory element, has a structure that includes ferromagnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic layer. Information is stored as directions of magnetization vectors in magnetic layers. Magnetic vectors in one magnetic layer, for instance, are magnetically fixed or pinned, while the magnetization direction of the other magnetic layer is free to switch between the same and opposite directions that are called xe2x80x9cparallelxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9canti-parallelxe2x80x9d states, respectively. In response to parallel and anti-parallel states, the magnetic memory element represents two different resistances. The resistance has minimum and maximum values when the magnetization vectors of the two magnetic layers point in substantially the same and opposite directions, respectively. Accordingly, a detection of change in resistance allows a device, such as an MRAM device, to provide information stored in the magnetic memory element. The difference between the minimum and maximum resistance values, divided by the minimum resistance is known as the magnetoresistance ratio (MR).
An MRAM device integrates magnetic elements, more particularly magnetic memory elements, and other circuits, for example, a control circuit for magnetic memory elements, comparators for detecting states in a magnetic memory element, input/output circuits, etc. These circuits are fabricated in the process of CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) technology in order to lower the power consumption of the device.
Magnetic elements structurally include very thin layers, some of which are tens of angstroms thick. The manufacturability throughput and performance of the magnetic element is conditioned upon the magnetic structure utilized and its complexity. Accordingly, it is necessary to make a magnetic device in which a simple structure is sought. A magnetic element structure in which including are fewer layers than the standard magnetic element and less targets, is sought. In addition, it is sought to build a device in which a centered Rxe2x80x94H(I) loop does not depend on the precise overly for each of the millions to billions of bits.
During typical magnetic element fabrication, such as MRAM element fabrication, metal films are grown by sputter deposition, evaporation, or epitaxy techniques. One such magnetic element structure includes a substrate, a base electrode multilayer stack, a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) structure, an insulating tunnel barrier layer, and a top electrode stack. The base electrode layer stack is formed on the substrate and includes a first seed layer deposited on the substrate, a template ferromagnetic layer formed on the seed layer, a layer of an antiferromagnetic material on the template layer and a pinned ferromagnetic layer formed on and exchange coupled with the underlying antiferromagnetic layer. The ferromagnetic layer is called the pinned layer because its magnetic moment (magnetization direction) is prevented from rotation in the presence of an applied magnetic field. The SAF structure includes a pinned ferromagnetic layer, and a fixed ferromagnetic layer, separated by a layer of ruthenium, or the like. The top electrode stack includes a free ferromagnetic layer and a protective layer formed on the free layer. The magnetic moment of the free ferromagnetic layer is not pinned by exchange coupling, and is thus free to rotate in the presence of applied magnetic fields. As described, this type of magnetic element structure includes a very complex arrangement of layers and as such is not amenable to high throughput.
An alternative structure includes, a magnetic element material stack which includes three magnetic layers separated by one tunnel barrier and one conductive spacer, such as TaNy. The middle magnetic layer is formed so that it is free to rotate or change direction, while the top and bottom magnetic layers are locked in an antiparallel arrangement or direction due to lowered energy from flux closure at the ends. During operation, the structure will have different resistances depending on which of the two directions the middle magnetic layer points its magnetization. In order to achieve a magnetic element which includes a better signal, or an improved magnetoresistance ratio, it is desirable to includes dual tunnel barrier layers. Yet, it has been found that this structure will fail if a tunnel barrier is utilized in the place of the conductive spacer.
Accordingly, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide an improved magnetic element with an improved magnetoresistance ratio.
It is another purpose of the present invention to provide an improved magnetic element that includes a higher MR % or signal, and less voltage dependence.
It is a still further purpose of the present invention to provide a method of forming a magnetic element with an improved magnetoresistance ratio.
It is still a further purpose of the present invention to provide a method of forming a magnetic element with an improved magnetoresistance ratio which is amenable to high throughput manufacturing.
These needs and others are substantially met through provision of a magnetic element including a first magnetic layer, comprised of a pinned ferromagnetic material, a second magnetic layer, that is free to rotate, a third magnetic layer, comprised of a pinned ferromagnetic material, and two (2) tunnel barrier layers. The structure is defined as including two (2) tunnel barrier layers in which one tunnel barrier layer is normal and one is reversed, or a structure in which the two tunnel barrier layers are of the same type and the structure further includes a SAF structure to allow for same sign changing magnetoresistance ratios across both tunnel barriers. A spacer layer is generally included when the magnetic element includes the SAF structure. The magnetic element further includes a metal lead. The metal lead, the plurality of magnetic layers, the plurality of tunnel barrier layers, and the spacer layer being formed on a substrate material, such as a dielectric. Additionally disclosed is a method of fabricating the magnetic element with an improved magnetoresistance ratio.